The Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal in Nigeria has upturned the verdict of a Federal High Court, Lagos, which perpetually restrained the arrest and extradition of Sen. Buruji Kashamu to the U.S. and ruled that the coast is clear for security agencies to pick him up.
The Appellate court held that the senator, representing Ogun East in the National Assembly, was bound by the provisions of the law, and therefore, could be “arrested in deserving circumstances.”
Delivering the lead judgment on Friday, the presiding judge, Justice Yargata Nimpar, reversed the 2015 lower court’s ruling handed down by Justice Okon Abang.
Kashamu, had sought for an order of perpetual injunction, restraining his arrest by the security agencies in Nigeria arguing that his personal liberty was under threat based on false defamatory content of an alleged politically-motivated petition.
The senator had consequently asked the court to issue an order of perpetual injunction, restraining the law enforcement agencies from arresting and transporting him to the United States over alleged drug offences.
Dissatisfied with the lower court’s verdict, the Attorney General of the Federation had appealed the ruling of Justice Abang. The appellate court in its judgment on Friday dismissed the preliminary objection filed by Kashamu against the substantive appeals as lacking in merits.